Sweaty Palms, and Pounding Hearts
by jaredxkimx4ever
Summary: Callie knows she isn't exactly Ms. Popularity, in fact, She's Ms. Invisible. And she has a massive embarrassingly, obvious, totally ridiculous PATHETIC crush on Seth Clearwater. But he doesn't see her, of course. But is she really as invisible as she feels?


Hey everyone, I know I haven't been a good author, what with not updating and all, so I hope this cutesy little thing will at least make up for it a little? Enjoy. Please Review!

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She wonders when it will get stop. Or at least get easier, instead of getting harder and harder until she can't breathe, and her palms are clammy, and she is sure he can hear the deafening sound of her heartbeat because he tilts his head, but doesn't look at her, and his lips curl. She wonders if she even wants it to stop. She's never been one to handle pain, but lately she's begun to think she's a closet masochist. And she's not sure that she minds.

"Miss Gaetti, I am sure your daydreams are far more fascinating that the Civil War, but please do try to keep your focus on me, and not up in the clouds, hmm?"

"S-sorry, professor. It won't happen again."

She stutters because he is in the seat beside her, and he is shaking his head, apparently amused. And she feels only a slight wisp of heated guilt, because she's never been one for lying, but she is sure that, yes, it will happen again. And though she's also never been one for slacking off in class, she thinks-knows- that it's useless, because she can feel the heat radiating off of the boy next to her, and then he's standing. And the bell has already rung, and she's dazed, but stands as well. He saunters past her, gently brushing her shoulder with his, and the ache in her chest intensifies, until she wants to scream at him to look at her. Just '_look'_ at her, one time.

But she's invisible. And she knows this. So she sighs, and subconsciously rubs circles into her sternum with her palm. It doesn't soothe the pain.

The next morning when she is walking to school, a truck pulls up next to her. She ignores it, because she's Callie Gaetti, and her daddy didn't raise a fool. But the truck keeps pace with her, and Callie begins to realize they're not giving up. So with a huff, she turns on her heels, eyes bright, cheeks red, hair flustered, and lips parted ready with 'back off' on the tip of her tongue. But it's just him.

"Oh. Seth. Hey."

It's awkward, but he's smiling at her like he knows something she doesn't and she should probably be annoyed, but really it's quite endearing. So she just stands there, arms crossed, books squished tightly to her ribs.

"Yeah, Callie, right?"

She nods, brusque. And she could smack herself for being so…frigid. But then she would look even more retarded, so she settles for adding a meek, 'yeah.' And he does that smiling thing again, only this time she thinks it might be one of the prettiest things she's ever seen in her life because she's seeing it fully directed at her for the first time. It crinkles his eyes, and _oh lord_, it puts dimples in his cheeks. And you can just tell that he's genuinely happy. And this throws her because, well, he's looking at _her_ like that. And she pretends that her breath doesn't catch. Because her throat does not feel like she has swallowed cotton balls, it just _doesn't_. Because that would be ridiculous.

"You need a ride to school?"

He couldn't have caught her more off-guard if he had tried. Now she is positive he knows something is wrong, because his gaze intensifies with worry, and she realizes her mouth is hanging open, and her cheeks feel like twin flaming beacons showcasing her obvious pathetic infatuation.

"Uh."

Oh how very eloquent of you, Callie. She has to fight the urge to roll her eyes at her inability to form coherent sentences around this boy, because really, it's quite silly. But even so, her tongue feels too big for her mouth and she's suddenly very aware that the chilly morning air is chapping her lips. But that shouldn't matter, because he's not going to be focused on her mouth. Seth Clearwater could do so much better. Except…that he _is_ staring at her lips. And _oh my_, his eyes darken almost unnoticeably. And if she had any doubts before, they are wiped from her mind. Because in that next second, she realizes she is so far gone, that there is likely going to be heartbreak, and crushed crushes, and sobbing into ice cream tubs alone on Friday nights in her near future. She can't bring herself to care.

"Can I take that as a yes?"

Her expression must be enough because he jerks his head, indication she should get in, and leans over to unlock the passenger door. Her knees are wobbly as she walks around the back of his truck, and for a moment she worries her legs can't make the trip, but then she is sliding into the cab, and buckling her seatbelt with shaky fingers. It smells wonderfully _Seth_ in his truck, something cloying, with cigarette smoke, and sandalwood mixed in. She can't help but notice that for a teenage boy, it's not as disgusting as one might imagine it to be. But then, she should have known, there isn't much about Seth Clearwater that isn't perfect.

She sighs, and he looks over at her. And it is then she realizes she had sighed quite loudly. She manages to give him a weak grin, that feels like too much teeth, and not enough 'I'm fine' but he seems to be satisfied if not still a little curious.

"So…"

His voice is gravelly, and all kinds of sexy, and he pauses to clear it up-she kind of wishes he hadn't- before parting his lips to continue.

"Why are you being so nice?"

She blurts out rudely, before he can continue. And the atmosphere between them completely shifts. He is wary, cautious, even. The air is thick with secrets she can see hidden behind his eyes, and she is all awkward shifting, and his mouth opens and closes several times. If she wasn't so set in finding out what he is hiding, she'd have laughed. He really is too adorable for his own good.

"I can't tell you."

Her eyes widen; she hadn't expected him to acknowledge that anything was out of the ordinary. Much less, admit there was a motive for his talking to her. Granted, he said he couldn't tell her, but at least he isn't insulting her intelligence by denying it completely.

"Yet," he tacks on after a moment.

"But you will tell me?"

"Yes, but just not now."

"Okay."

He looks like someone just smacked him across the face. And she didn't think she would be so easy about it either, maybe it's because she knows she is completely, irrefutably in love with him, or maybe it's because he does promise to tell her later, but she is prepared to let it go. She is inclined to go with the former, simply because if he asked her to jump off of a cliff she would, and at the end of the day, whatever he asks of her, she would give. Because It's Seth, and he's beautiful, and everything she has always wanted. So if he wants time before he explains anything, he can have all the time he wants. And that's that.

"So, you want to play twenty questions?"

Her voice is slightly chirpy, and higher-pitched than normal. But she's trying, to be social, or 'go with flow' she thinks is what other people call it. And he looks at her then-that shocked look gone from his features but still shining in his gorgeous brown eyes- and smiles again. It is a grateful one this time, and it puts tight rubber band in her stomach, and its stretching and being pulled on deep in her gut, and so she looks away from his face, and starts them off with an inane question about favorite colors, and he follows her lead.

And she thinks maybe she is invisible to everyone else. But then, that doesn't matter because when she looks over at the boy next to her, all russet skin, and laughing lips, and eyelashes that touch his cheeks when he blinks, she knows that it's enough that she's not invisible to _him_, anymore.

And really if she had to choose, nobody else in the world would matter.

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Yeah I know sucky ending but I didnt want to rush anything, and yeah probably a bit angsty. I usually dont do angst but oh well. Did you like? If so, there's this really pretty shiny little button down there in the corner. Go on, press it, you know you want to. ;D Ciao!


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